David Cameron has pledged to seek a cross-party consensus on newspaper regulation as he took delivery of the Leveson report.

David Cameron has pledged to seek a cross-party consensus on newspaper regulation as he took delivery of the Leveson report.

The Prime Minister said he would meet other party leaders to discuss how to respond to the judge’s conclusions – due to be published on Thursday.

His comments came amid evidence of a deep Tory split over the prospect of statutory regulation.

Dozens of Conservative MPs, including two from Wales, have signed a letter warning that accepting such a recommendation would undermine free speech – days after a group of 42 Tory MPs urged tough new laws to keep newspapers in check.

Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions in the Commons, Mr Cameron said he wanted to end up with an “independent regulatory system that can deliver”.

Mr Cameron added: “One of the key things that the Leveson inquiry is trying to get to the bottom of is how can you have a strong, independent regulatory system so you don’t have to wait for the wheels of the criminal justice system or the libel system to work.”

Philip Davies, MP for Shipley, said statutory regulation of the press was a straight choice, with no third way alternative.

He said: “Can I warn you not to be remembered as the Prime Minister who introduced state regulation of the press. A free press is an essential part of a free democracy and would you agree regulation of the press is like pregnancy – just as you’re either pregnant or not pregnant, you either have state regulation or you don’t.”

Mr Cameron replied: “I would agree that a free press is absolutely vital to democracy. We should recognise all the press has done and should continue doing to uncover wrong doing, to stand up to the powerful, this is vitally important.

“Whatever the changes we make, we want a robust and free press in our country.”

Labour leader Ed Miliband welcomed Mr Cameron’s commitment and insisted he wanted “real change”, adding: “I hope we can work on an all-party basis. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for real change and I hope that this House can make it happen.”

There has been speculation that Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is preparing to take a tougher line than Mr Cameron if statutory regulation is floated. But the Premier’s spokesman played down the prospect of the Liberal Democrat leader making a separate response to Leveson in the Commons.

Meanwhile, those signing the letter published in the Daily Telegraph included Vale of Glamorgan MP Alun Cairns and Montgomeryshire MP Glyn Davies.

Mr Davies said that despite having recent run-ins with tabloids, he feared state regulation of the Press was a threat to democracy.

He told the WalesOnline: “We need a free press to ‘keep the waters pure’. Thomas Jefferson wrote ‘were it left to me to decide whether we should have a Government without newspapers, or newspapers without a Government, I shall not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.’

“I agree with Jefferson. When we consider Lord Leveson’s Report we should remember that another way of describing the ‘freedom of the press to publish’ is the ‘right of the citizen’s to know’.”

Mr Davies said he had his share of run-ins with tabloid newspapers over the past 30 years, but added: “Anyone who can’t take a bit of stick shouldn’t be in public life, or the entertainment business. Much of the clamour for statutory regulation stems from the outrage felt about the hacking of mobile phones by a minority of journalists.

“The nation was rightly horrified. The uprising of public anger is what led to Lord Justice Leveson being asked to hold an inquiry.

“But phone hacking is illegal. What happened was an abject failure of law enforcement.”

Calling for independent self-regulation for the industry he said: “If we introduce statutory regulation, even if disguised under weasel words like ‘legal underpinning’ it will hasten the end of our newspaper industry, already under threat from internet-based news sites. It will tip the balance even more in favour of digital platforms.

“It will be especially destructive of our much valued local newspapers. It will do harm to our way of life.

“After digesting the contents and recommendations of Lord Leveson, we will have to do something, but for the future of our civilisation, let it not be statutory regulation.”

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